Miss Lizzie and Mr Burt
by Z.R. Bloomfield
Summary: AU. Lizzie Hummel couldn't have children after Kurt was born, so she and Burt became foster parents.


**Hi! Okay, this is my first glee fic. It's part of this AU headcanon I have in which Kurt and Quinn are siblings (they're both Hummels) and Blaine and Rachel are siblings (they're both Andersons). This story is Quinn and Kurt's backstory as to how they came to be siblings, because they're not biologically related. This is a sort of prequel to another fic that I will post here soon that takes place in season 1, from _Preggers_ to about _Throwdown_, which is related to another fic that I'm writing that also involves the Andersons (who have a prequel all their own that will get published eventually as well). **

**Reviews are awesome; they kind of make my day!**

**xoxo Z.R. Bloomfield**

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><p>The thing that Burt Hummel remembered about his wife Lizzie was that she had a huge heart. <em>Huge<em>. It was why she made such an amazing piano teacher, he thought. Because, with big hearts tends to come astonishing patience, something that not a lot of people had.

It was also why she insisted on volunteering as foster parents.

Their son Kurt was a miracle in his own right; they were shocked when they found out she was pregnant, since they'd been told for years and years that she couldn't have children. A few years after he was born, they started looking into having another baby, because Lizzie had grown up an only child and she knew how lonely it got and there was no way her baby would have that. She miscarried all three times they tried.

After the third miscarriage, Lizzie didn't cry like she had with the first two. That's not to say she didn't cry at all, because she did (and the sound of his wife crying late at night for her lost child was a sound that would haunt Burt Hummel for the rest of his days), but she rebounded with a new determination. If she couldn't have her own children, well then she'd take them in.

She had them put on the list of possible parents for children that needed immediate relocation from their homes. They started slow: they only took on one child at a time, with the exception of a set of twin girls, and they only stayed for a few weeks each. Their final stint as foster parents started the night before Kurt's sixth birthday.

Kurt had just been put to bed and Lizzie was in the kitchen, baking his birthday cake like she did every year ("Burt Hummel, do you _know_ how long those cakes have been sitting in the display windows?") and Burt was watching a baseball game in the living room, when there was a knock at the door. Lizzie answered it, and came face-to-face with a social worker.

"Are you Elizabeth Hummel?" He asked. He was tall man with round glasses, thinning hair, and an exhausted expression.

"Yes, can I help you with something?"

"I'm from Child Protection Services, and you're on the list of people authorized of emergency placement families. If you don't mind stepping out here with me for a moment, I need you to sign this…" Lizzie followed him out. Burt got up from his chair and followed them. A dark red van with CPS printed onto the doors was parked in their driveway. Lizzie was standing on the walkway, talking to the social worker, holding a manila folder under her arm.

"She's just gotten pulled. Our records say her sister is studying at a boarding school in Vermont, and she has family there."

"How long will she be with us?" He heard Lizzie ask.

"As long as necessary." The social worker opened the van and said something that sounded like "Fabray" and then a chubby girl with dirty blonde hair and glasses stumbled out of the van, clutching a Disney Princesses backpack. "This is her." He watched as Lizzie bent down next to the little girl. Her eyes were wide, almost scared, but became less so as Lizzie started talking to her.

"Hi, sweetie. My name is Miss Lizzie. What's yours?"

"Lucy." Her voice was shaky, like she didn't understand why Lizzie was being so nice to her.

"It's very nice to meet you, Lucy. Why don't we go inside? Are you hungry?" She stood up and offered the little girl—Lucy—her hand, which she took, and led her inside. The social worker barely threw a glance in their direction before pulling out of their driveway and driving away. Burt followed them inside and closed the door behind them.

"Lucy, this is my husband, Mr. Burt," Lizzie said as he walked into the kitchen. Lucy was seated in the chair that was saved for the foster children, across from where Kurt sat at dinner. Her backpack was propped up against the leg of her chair, and she seemed in awe of the kitchen. Lizzie set a bowl of the macaroni and cheese that was left over from dinner in front of her and checked the timer on the cake. "Tomorrow, you're going to meet our son, Kurt. He's asleep right now."

"No, 'm not." Lizzie looked up and saw her sleepy almost-six-year-old standing in the doorway to the kitchen, clutching a stuffed bear to his chest and rubbing at his eye.

"Well, you should be. What are you doing up, bud?" Burt asked, leaning against the counter.

"There's a car in the street makin' noise," he mumbled, yawning. Lizzie bent down and scooped him up. She walked over to Burt and passed him off to him. Kurt's head fell against his father's shoulder, holding the bear a little closer to his chest. He sat up suddenly, and looked over at Lucy. "Who's that?" He asked, sleepy eyes suddenly wide.

"My name's Lucy," she said, looking at him with a curious expression. Kurt wiggled out of his father's hold and walked over to the table to sit across from her.

"Are you staying with us now?" He asked.

"Uh-huh."

"How long are you gonna stay?" She looked down at the bowl in front of her and shrugged. "Do you like tea parties?" She looked up at him and nodded, her expression still solemn. "Good, 'cause tomorrow's my birthday party, and I'm gonna have a tea party with my friends and you're invited now 'cause you're living here." Lizzie smiled to herself before turning around and facing her son.

"Okay, Kurt, it's time for bed."

"What about Lucy?"

"She's going to bed, too. Daddy's gonna put you to bed this time, okay?"

"Uh-huh. Can I read a story?"

"That's up to Daddy."

"Daddy, please?" Kurt asked, looking at him with big blue eyes that Lizzie had used on him too many times to count.

"Come on, bud, let's go," Burt said, motioning for him to go up with him. Kurt smiled hugely and started to leave, before stopping and facing Lucy.

"Goodnight, Lucy. See you tomorrow!" he said, and then he followed Burt up the stairs.

"Are you done, sweetheart?" Lizzie asked. Lucy glanced down at the bowl and nodded. Lizzie picked it up and set it down next to the sink. "Okay, let's get you set up."

When it became clear that they would be taking in _any_ type of child—age, gender, attitude, anything—Lizzie decided that it would be best to go with neutral colors and patterns that were appropriate for every age group. The room that Kurt called the Kid Room had light orange walls, like a sunrise. The comforters were a pale green and the sheets were white. The room was very bare, open to changes depending on how long the child stayed with them. They'd had four children stay with them before Lucy arrived: the first two were twin sisters, eight years old. They drew all the time, and were probably Kurt's favorites, because they liked the same Disney movies as him and they played with him the most. The third child was a boy, seven years old, who kept to himself and played with toy cars and trucks everywhere. The fourth was a twelve-year-old girl that, by the time she'd left, made Burt thankful that he had a boy, and one who wasn't prepubescent at that. Each time, the room had changed slightly to better fit the child staying there. When the twins arrived, they'd had to get a second single bed. When the little boy arrived, a small set of drawers appeared in the corner. When the twelve-year-old arrived, a desk was placed at the foot of the second bed.

"Is this all you have?" Lizzie asked, motioning at the backpack Lucy carried in one hand. Lucy nodded, slightly confused. "All your clothes?"

"Daddy didn't let me get more," she said softly. Lizzie tried to hide her shock as she gently took the backpack from her and opened it.

"Okay, well, let's put your clothes in the dresser for now and we can worry about how many outfits you'll have later," she said, folding the very few articles of clothing and putting them in a drawer that Lucy could reach. While Lizzie unpacked her, Lucy tugged of the denim jacket she'd been wearing and placed it hesitantly on one of the beds. She had been wearing pajamas when she was picked up, and Lizzie realized that she didn't have any in the bag until she turned around and saw the little girl dressed in Hello Kitty pajamas.

"Which bed do you want to sleep in?" Lizzie asked her. Lucy shrugged. "You can pick either one." Lucy looked at them for a moment and then sat on the one she'd put her jacket on. "Okay. Here, let's put your jacket over here so it doesn't get in the way tonight." Lizzie draped it over the desk chair.

Lucy crawled under the covers as she did this, and Lizzie turned around to see the little girl sitting in bed, glasses still on, almost expectantly.

"I could read to you if you'd like," Lizzie said, a small smile in place. Lucy's brow furrowed, and she shook her head. "Do you just want to sleep?" Lucy's frown became more pronounced.

"Aren't you going to tell me I need to pray?" It was Lizzie's turn to frown.

"Do you want me to?"

"Not really."

"Then I won't." Lucy looked confused.

"But don't I need to pray before I go to sleep?"

"If you want to pray, you can pray, but I won't force you to," Lizzie said gently. Lucy's frown relaxed, and she made the sign of the cross and folded her hands. She stayed like that for a few minutes, and then made the sign of the cross and sat up. She took off her glasses and snuggled down into her bed.

"Goodnight, Miss Lizzie," she said sleepily.

"Goodnight, Lucy," Lizzie returned quietly as she turned off the lamp on the dresser and closed the door behind her quietly. She went back downstairs and found Burt sitting in front of the TV, trying to catch the last few minutes of the game. Burt glanced at her as she flopped down next to him.

"Everything okay?"

"She doesn't have a lot of clothes," Lizzie said. "She expected me to force her to pray before she went to bed." Burt looked at her. "Is Kurt asleep?"

"Kid was out like a light the second his head hit the pillow. Didn't even read to him. Did you look at this?" Burt picked up a manila folder from the coffee table. The social worker had given it to Lizzie right before discharging Lucy. She'd set it down in the front hall and completely forgotten it.

"Not yet, let me see," Lizzie said, sitting up a little straighter and opening the folder.

Lucy's full name was Lucy Quinn Fabray. Her parents' names were Judy and Russell. Judy was an alcoholic and negligent and her father was emotionally abusive, according to the file. Her older sister was only addressed as Frannie, and she lived in Vermont with relatives there.

"Why didn't they contact the Vermont relatives?" Burt asked.

"I don't know. It looks messy and this little girl is all tied up in it. The least we can do is take care of her for as long as possible," Lizzie said, closing the folder.

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><p>As it turned out, Russell and Judy Fabray got a divorce four months after Lucy arrived at the Hummels, but Judy did not seem intent on turning her life around. Russell had been declared unfit as a guardian at the beginning of the divorce suit, and Frannie was not a factor in the case, since she was completely estranged from her parents to the point where she referred to the aunt and uncle she lived with as her parents, and had requested, at the custody hearing, that any rights as parents over her be turned over to her aunt and uncle. The only thing left was Lucy.<p>

Lizzie agreed to meet with Judy Fabray shortly after the divorce concluded, to discuss Lucy. Russell was not allowed communications with Lucy or anyone caring for her.

"To be honest, I can't believe you've stuck with her this long," Judy said over lunch, after her third glass of chardonnay (Lizzie decided to count how many glasses she had). "I thought for sure you'd have her relocated after a month. She's a bit hopeless, in my opinion."

"I wasn't aware you had an opinion of her," Lizzie said. Judy fixed her with a glare, but Lizzie just looked back at her calmly.

"Has she been any trouble?" This question came after the fifth glass.

"None at all."

"I find that hard to believe."

"She thought that the whole world functions like her life had with you and Russell. She expected me to force her to pray—several times a day, I might add—and she didn't understand the concept of a loving family. She offered to set the table a week after arriving and asked if I would be the only one with a wine glass at dinner, or if my husband would like one as well, and then she went on to ask what kind we'd want. The only time I saw her truly behave like a little girl in those first few weeks was when she was playing with my son. She also told me, on the very first night she arrived, that her daddy hadn't allowed her to take any more clothes than the ones she was wearing and whatever she could fit in a backpack, and for a six-year-old, that's not a lot. Was she any trouble? Absolutely not. Has she been in trouble? I'd put a lot of money on that." Lizzie waved the waiter for the bill. "And I can see why."

"If you want to waste time, money, and your life on that girl, go ahead. She's yours, but don't you dare tell me what she does because I don't give a damn," Judy told Lizzie as she stood up to leave.

"You really don't know what a great kid she is, if you think it's wasting time."

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><p>The adoption papers arrived a week before Thanksgiving. Lizzie kept them hidden until Kurt and Lucy went to bed, and set to filling them out at the kitchen table. Burt watched her from the doorway. Lizzie's jaw clenched when she saw that Judy and Russell had already filled out their parts, but she knew she shouldn't be surprised.<p>

"Burt, I need you to sign these, too." They'd spent several nights and phone conversations during the day talking about adopting Lucy and whether or not they should and what the other thought. They both came to the conclusion that yes, it was a good idea, yes, they should do it, and yes, Kurt would love the idea. Burt and Lucy had their own way of interacting that Lizzie didn't quite understand but loved watching all the same, and it wasn't always apparent that they cared for each other, but they did. Lizzie pretended not to notice Burt's jaw clench when Lucy slipped up and called him "Daddy," which only happened when she was very tired or wasn't paying close enough attention. She couldn't pinpoint when Lucy started calling her "Mommy," but she thought it was sometime around September, after school started, and it was few and far-between, much more than "Daddy."

"Okay, where?" She pointed to blank lines throughout the documents as he scribbled his signature over them and he teased them out of her grip when he finished. "Liz, I'll do this, go check on our kids." Lizzie smiled at the plural and went upstairs.

It wasn't late at all, and she should've known that both of them would be in Kurt's room, reading a book together. Lucy looked up at Lizzie and for a second Lizzie swore she saw the old Lucy—the scared little girl that didn't dare do anything if she wasn't sure she was allowed. She moved to get up but Lizzie shook her head.

"It's okay. I wanted to talk to you two, actually," she said, sitting down at the foot of Kurt's bed. Kurt set the book down in his lap and Lucy leaned next to him.

"Yes, Miss Lizzie?"

"Lucy, did you know that your real mommy and daddy got a divorce?" She asked. Lucy frowned slightly.

"No…"

"Do you know what it means?" Lucy nodded. "Okay, did you know that Frannie got adopted by your aunt and uncle in Vermont?" Lucy rolled her eyes.

"Of course she did. She doesn't like us." Lizzie frowned a little bit, but shook it off. She'd ask about that later.

"I talked to your real mommy a few weeks ago." Lucy's eyes got wide and fearful.

"Y-you did?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I wanted to talk to her about you."

"Have I been bad?"

"No, of course not," Lizzie said quickly, sensing the rising hysteria. "I just wanted to ask her if we could keep you." Lucy frowned. "Because no one was sure if you were going to have to—"

"Wasn't she gonna stay forever?" Kurt asked suddenly.

"Not at first, no—"

"Why not?"

"Kurt, do you remember when Daddy and I told you that instead of getting a sibling, we were going to have children live with us for a little bit of time because they needed a place to stay because they weren't safe?"

"Uh-huh…"

"And how they were never going to stay forever, because eventually they'd find a family member that they could live with where it was safe?"

"Yes."

"Well, that's why Lucy—"

"No, I know that, but Lucy stayed much longer than anybody else. And I heard you and Daddy talking and he said it might be better if she just never left and—"

"Kurt, honey, that's actually where I was going with this," she said with a smile. "Lucy, would you like to be Kurt's sister?" Lucy's face lit up, but then turned almost disbelieving.

"You want me to stay?"

"If you want to stay, you can stay," she told her, and Lucy's face broke into a huge smile and she threw her arms around Lizzie.

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><p>The next morning, Lucy called Burt "Daddy" as she said goodbye to him before Lizzie took her and Kurt to school. She called Lizzie "Mommy" before she and Kurt went in to first grade. The names "Miss Lizzie" and "Mr. Burt" were never used by Lucy ever again.<p> 


End file.
